The Slayer in Camelot
by swiftly through the trees
Summary: Buffy is transported to Camelot, where she aggravates and intrigues the arrogant Prince Arthur. With Uther's shadow looming over her, Buffy must accept the aid of the Prince and his friends to stay alive and get back to Sunnydale.
1. The First Meeting

Arthur Pendragon had just had the worst morning ever. His manservant Merlin had brought him cold breakfast ten minutes late, _again_, his adopted sister Morgana was being even more annoying than usual and he'd embarrassed himself at Knight's training by tripping over a fellow Knight's lance.

Because of all this, Arthur was in an extremely tetchy mood as his manservant Merlin came in with some freshly washed clothes, whistling an annoyingly catchy tune. Arthur groaned and blocked his ears as Merlin set the washing down on the bed and collected up the dirty armour left from training, apparently completely oblivious to his master's anger.

It was too much. Arthur unblocked his ears, glared at Merlin and yelled, "Will you shut UP?!?"

Merlin gave him a surprised, reproachful glance. "I'm sorry, your Highness," he said in a hurt voice.

Arthur sighed. Now Merlin was making him feel _guilty_. Great. Just great.

Merlin stopped his whistling and continued bustling around Arthur's chamber. Arthur's mood softened slightly as he watched Merlin place his sword carefully into the scabbard that hung on the chamber wall. At least Merlin treated his gear with some respect.

Just as he thought this Merlin dropped one of helmets with an extremely loud _clang_. Arthur jumped a foot in the air and glared at his sheepish servant, who picked up the helmet and gave it an anxious glance. Arthur felt his temper rising close to explosive point as he spotted a bad dent in the side of what had been one of his best helmets.

"Merlin," he said in a sinister voice.

"Um…" was all his manservant could say.

Arthur snorted in disgust and rose to stalk out of the room.

"Where are you going?" Merlin asked quickly.

"Out," Arthur said shortly. Merlin, sensibly, did not pursue the subject, and as Arthur stalked out angrily he bent his head to examine the helmet once more.

Arthur didn't really know where he was headed, he just wanted to get as far away from Merlin as possible. His anger wasn't really just because of the helmet, he felt as if an explosion had been building up inside him all morning and was just about at breaking point. He strode through the castle corridors and servants scurried out of his way to bob curtseys and bow by the walls.

He almost walked straight into her, and had to stop himself quickly. She was standing facing away from him, her head tilted to one side, gazing from a window in the passage on to market square. Arthur stared at her for several second, drinking in her strange appearance.

She was small and tanned, with medium-length blonde hair pulled up in a pony tail. She was wearing a purple spaghetti strap singlet-top and skinny blue jeans with flares. To Arthur she seemed practically naked, and he was rather shamefully fascinated.

When she realised he was there, the girl turned. She met his gaze with unwavering blue-grey eyes, she too taking in his appearance, which to her was obviously strange.

His first thought was that she was something of a trollop and had stopped on her way to or from the Knight's quarters. But as she turned to face him he realised that she had what looked like diamonds hanging from her ears. Only someone of nobility could afford such things. And the pendant on a silver chain around her neck looked expensive. But still, her clothes were far too revealing. No lady of the court would dare to wear something like that.

He had just come to the conclusion that she must be from foreign lands when she spoke, and he realised he'd been standing there with his mouth open like a fish. He shut it quickly.

"Hi," she said. "Did you want something?"

Her accent was strange. Foreign, he confirmed.

"Sorry, I've just never seen you around here before," why was he apologizing? He was the _Crown Prince_ for God's sake. He realised suddenly that all his anger had evaporated. He was unsure what to address her as though. She wasn't a lady of the court, and he didn't want to embaress himself by calling her a lady if she was a plain trollop like he'd first thought.

"Would you mind telling me where _here_ is?" the girl asked.

"What do you mean?" Arthur asked rather stupidly. He mentally kicked himself as soon as he said it.

"I mean," the girl said slowly, "where the hell am I?"

He'd never had anyone talk so openly to him before in his life. He stared at her for several more seconds, reeling. Who was she to talk like that to the Crown Prince of Camelot? An exotic princess perhaps?

The girl was waiting for an answer, eyebrows slightly raised. Arthur pulled himself together.

"We're in the Castle," he said, though surely that was obvious.

"Well, I figured that out for myself," the girl said disdainfully. "But _which_ castle, and where is it?"

Was she mad? Arthur though it might be so. She couldn't be so completely lost if she were sane. It wasn't as if Camelot was not distinctive.

"It's just _the_ Castle," he said. "It's the only castle in Camelot after all."

"Camelot?" she gasped. "That's where I am?"

"Er… yes," forgetting himself, Arthur rolled his eyes. "Of course."

"Wow," she murmured, staring at him through new eyes, then turning to stare out of the window once more. "That's amazing."

"Who are you, anyway?" Arthur demanded.

"I'm," she hesitated for a second, before saying, "Buffy. Buffy Summers."

It was a name he'd never heard of before. And, now he thought of it, he'd never heard her accent before, though his father had introduced him to delegates of all Camelot's surrounding countries.

"So what's your name?" the girl asked.

He was shocked again. She didn't know his name? Who _was_ she?

He drew himself to full height. "Arthur Pendragon."

Her eyes widened slightly. "I thought he'd be- older," she muttered to herself. Looking up at Arthur through sweeping lashes she said. "So you're… king?"

"Prince," he corrected her, thoroughly baffled.

"Ah, I see now," she said to herself. "Well, this is a surprise. I wonder… hmm."

Arthur looked out the window, as if to confirm there was something sane in the world. He suddenly heard the sound of running feet and whipped around to see the mysterious, infuriating girl rounding the bend of the corridor ten metres away.

"Get back here NOW!" he roared, and set off at a sprint after her. He didn't really know why he was pursuing her, for some reason he felt that it was important.

Servants stared as he hurtled past, maids whispered behind their hands and giggled. At last, puffed and exhausted, he stopped, realising he was making a fool of himself. After all, he had no way of knowing where she was now. He made his way back to his rooms, red-faced and furious.

Merlin stared as he came in. Arthur saw with amazement that the dented helmet had been fixed and newly oiled, and was hung up on the wall next to the scabbard. All his other gear was in the armoury, of course, but he liked to keep the basics handy.

"Um, what happened to you?" Merlin asked. "You look like you've run a marathon."

He had run quite far in search of the girl, he realised, further than he'd thought. He ignored Merlin and sat down on his bed, panting. He knew one thing for sure, that was not the last time he would see the girl.


	2. Gwen

Warning- contains slight spoilers for Buffy Season 5 though this story does NOT follow the plot of either Merlin or Buffy

Disclaimer- of course I don't own either Merlin or Buffy I just love them

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Buffy had made it out of the castle at last, still shocked from meeting the famous founder of the Round Table in real life and wondering why'd he'd run after her. Maybe it wasn't the done thing to run away while the Prince looked out the window. She'd have to work on that, _and_ find out what people wore around here. She could hardly go around like this, everyone was staring at her.

Deciding to get out of sight Buffy crossed the cobbled square and ducked down a side alley, which was mercifully deserted. Unlike Arthur the run had not bothered her in the slightest physically, even though Arthur was an extremely fit, well-trained knight. But she was disconcertingly tired anyway, mostly mentally.

Leaning in a doorway of an abandoned house she ran her mind back over the events of the previous few days. There'd been Toth coming into the Magic Box, and their hunt for him in the dump. She remembered Spike had been there, with some sort of plastic arm. And then Toth had appeared- her memory was hazy here- she could hardly remembered at all. He'd had the stick thing that he'd had when he attacked Giles and he'd blasted it at her hadn't he? Maybe. And then she turned up in a corridor of the Castle and met Arthur.

She was still digesting this when she heard footsteps, hurried ones. She whipped her head from side to side and drew back into the doorway as she watched a girl walk past quickly, heading away from the square Buffy had come from. Buffy watched her, unsure of what to do.

The girl was obviously a servant of some kind. She wore a neat, mustard-yellow pinafore over a cream-long sleeved dress, with a red hooded cloak fastened about her shoulders, and her dark hair was neatly pinned about her head. Making a quick decision, Buffy followed her quickly, keeping out of sight. The girl would lead her to somewhere, where she could either steal or borrow clothes (she knew that the former was more likely but she didn't like to steal and if she could make friends with the girl she could get help).

The girl led her down another deserted alley and then into wider, busier streets. Buffy couldn't hide anymore so she tried to ignore the stares, pretending she knew where she was going, keeping her eye on the girl all the while.

Finally the girl stopped outside a small stone terrace cottage with no garden and un-glassed windows. Buffy stopped and watched her, concealed in the doorway of the next stone cottage. The girl lifted the latch of the door and stepped inside, closing it behind her. Buffy sneaked to one of the windows and peaked in. A man was sitting there, tall and broad-shouldered, he gave the girl a hug.

Buffy decided she was probably his daughter.

"How was your day, Gwen?" the man asked.

The girl-Gwen- smiled and shrugged. "Same as usual," she said in a soft, gentle voice. "Morgana had another nightmare yesterday though, she told me about it."

"Poor girl," the man said gruffly, shaking his head sadly. "I thought with Gaius's potions…"

"Gaius can't cure everything, Father," Gwen said quietly. "How was your day?"

While Gwen's father explained about his day- he appeared to be a blacksmith- Buffy sneaked round to the other window and looked inside. It was across a small passage from the room Gwen and her father. Quietly, Buffy hoisted herself up and climbed into the tiny room.

The floorboards creaked noisily. Cursing silently, Buffy looked around her. There were two beds in here, and a trunk in the corner. Making her way to it, Buffy slowly lifted the lid. There were a few dresses inside, and two pinafores. Suddenly it hit Buffy with full force what she was about to do. She couldn't. She couldn't steal some of the only clothes this poor girl had.

She closed the trunk and it's hinges creaked loudly. Too loudly. Buffy could hear footsteps coming towards her. Even with Slayer speed she couldn't get to the window in time. Gwen had opened the door and was staring straight at her.

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What will Buffy do now?

Please review and tell me whether you like the story focusing on Arthur, or Buffy, or if you want new characters now!


	3. Trust

**Thanks for the reviews!! Love you all!! This chapter is really just about some Gwen and Buffy interaction. I like the idea of these two as friends.**

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Buffy gave a horrified gasp and froze, her eyes darting to the window and back to Gwen. Gwen was rooted to the spot, shocked and confused. A few seconds past in total silence.

Predicting the inevitable, Buffy darted to Gwen's side and clapped her hands over the girl's mouth. It felt wrong and horribly cruel, but she had to avoid a scream at all cost. Gwen regained her senses and struggled, fear in her eyes.

Buffy kept one hand over Gwen's mouth and grabbed her arms with the other to avoid a punch to the stomach. Gwen struggled and aimed a kick at her shin but Buffy dodged it and whispered desperately,

"Stop struggling, and let me explain! _Please_!"

Gwen's eyes widened and she stood stock-still, still afraid but less so. Buffy tentatively withdrew her hand from Gwen's mouth and let go of her arms, tensed just in case.

"You…" Gwen stuttered.

"Shh, please," Buffy begged. "I can explain!"

Gwen lowered her voice. "What are you _doing_ here?" she said. Buffy glanced guiltily at the clothes chest and Gwen followed her gaze. "My _clothes_?" she hissed in disbelief. "You were stealing my _clothes_?"

"I don't know," Buffy said helplessly. "I needed too, I'm so sorry. I was going too, but… I just couldn't."

Gwen stared at her. "You don't look like a burglar," she said. "But you don't look… normal, either," her gaze raked Buffy's singlet-top and jeans. "Who _are_ you?"

"Will your father come in any time soon?" Buffy asked nervously.

"How did you…? Have you been _spying _ on me?" Gwen hissed, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

"I just saw through the window," Buffy defended herself. "I am in a _seriously_ bad situation here, okay? If I could just _understand,_ I… oh well. What about your father?"

"Father's tired. He'll be resting in there until dinner," Gwen said. "You'd better come with me to the back room. He won't be able to here us there, the walls are thick."

Gratefully, Buffy followed Gwen out into the tiny passage. Careful to make no sound, she tiptoed behind as Gwen led the way into the bigger back room. She knew it wasn't likely but she was worried that Gwen's father would hear two sets of footsteps and be puzzled by it.

Gwen shut the door of the back room and gestured for Buffy to sit on one of the two wooden stools by the table. Buffy sank into one of them, feeling a lot less frantic than before. There was something trustworthy and kind about Gwen, Buffy knew she wouldn't betray her without a very good reason.

"Now," Gwen said. "Explain."

Gwen was a good listener. Buffy began with Toth. She knew she _should_ mention being the Slayer, and all of her story, but she couldn't bring herself to. It was like keeping her secret was hardwired into her system. Not to her friends of course, but she couldn't just go blurting out the fact to strangers.

Gwen gasped in various places, and when Buffy described Toth and mentioned the word 'demon' a look of pure fear crossed her face. Buffy stumbled a bit at the end- it was still unclear to her what had exactly happened, and she saw Gwen's face for the first time.

"Gwen! What…?"

Gwen didn't even register with the fact that she hadn't told Buffy her name, yet Buffy knew it. She was staring at the door as though frightened something would come bursting through it.

"King Uther…" she murmured. "Oh no."

"Umm?" Buffy raised her eyebrows questioningly. "Did you just say King Uther? Isn't he Arthur's dad?"

Gwen gasped. "You've met Arthur?"

"Sure. Arrogant guy with blonde hair. Good runner. Bit too angry for my liking," a blush tinged her cheeks as she remembered Arthur's staring.

"Oh _no_!" Gwen jumped up and began pacing the small room. "This is so bad!"

"Why?" Buffy was confused. "So I met Arthur, and his dad is Uther. What's the problem?"

Gwen explained about King Uther's laws. Buffy gaped.

"Executing witches?" thinking fondly of Willow and Tara, Buffy was furious. "I happen to have two very good friends who are witches and they have helped me in so many ways…!"

Gwen shushed her with a frantic expression on her face. "I _know_ it's not sensible, but honestly, we have some really dangerous warlocks out there."

"A warlock could help me get back!" Buffy said suddenly. "If only we could find one…"

"Slow down!" Gwen said desperately. "I need to think this through. How can I even know if you're telling the truth? You could be a sorceress yourself! And if you _are_ telling the truth, how will you possibly be able to find a sorcerer or warlock or something? Everyone will just think you're a spy for the King."

"You don't have to help, okay?" Buffy said. She was sorry for putting Gwen in danger. "If I could just borrow some clothes, maybe? Then I'll blend in. I _will_ return them," she said, when Gwen looked sceptical, "or buy you new ones."

"I guess so," Gwen said. She jumped as bells chimed through the house from somewhere in the city, marking the start of a new hour. "Oh goodness! Dinner! I have to hurry. You need to get out of here." she suddenly thought of something. "You haven't even told me your name yet."

"It's Buffy, Buffy Summers," Buffy said. "But I think I should change it, don't you? I told Arthur that name."

"Then you must _definitely_ change it," Gwen agreed. "I'm sure you'll think of something."

She herded Buffy back towards the other rooms, keeping quiet, and handed her a cream short sleeved dress, a red pinafore and an old brown cloak. "It's my spare," she said apologetically. "It's quite old."

"It's perfect," Buffy pulled Gwen into a grateful hug. "I promise you I'll return them," she assured her. "Don't worry." She headed towards the window.

"Buffy?" Gwen called after her.

Buffy turned. "Gwen?"

"Tell me how you're going, okay?"Gwen asked quietly.

Buffy flashed her a smile. "Oh, don't worry. If you want me too, I certainly will."

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**So Buffy's out searching for a warlock. I wonder who'll she find…**


	4. A Little Sword Practice

**Hi guys! Just started 6th season of Buffy and loving it. Holidays are here, so hopefully will get more time on this story. Sorry for the long wait!**

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She'd been on Arthur's mind ever since he'd chased her through the castle. Everywhere he went, he looked for her, though he wasn't quite sure why. She just fascinated him, thoughts of her confident, strong gaze and slender, muscular form ran through his mind all day. Buffy, he remembered her saying, Buffy Summers.

Merlin though he was acting strangely, Arthur could tell. He had not told his manservant anything about why he'd returned puffed and sweaty faced or why he glanced around every few seconds, even in his own chambers. He felt as though all of a sudden she might appear and he had to be ready for her.

He didn't get to sleep that night. He lay awake till early morning, mulling her over, racking his brains for anything he might have said to make her leave so suddenly. He knew he should be sleeping, he had training in the morning, and needed strength, as well as a meeting with his father and several foreign lords afterwards. But he just couldn't stop thinking.

When Merlin came in the morning he gave Arthur a startled glance before quickly turning away. Arthur caught a glimpse of himself in the back of his shield and sighed. He looked awful; his hair was all over the place, his eyes had bags under them and his face was pale from lack of sleep. He felt awful. He cursed Buffy suddenly. Who was she to upset him like this? She'd been extremely rude to him, in his opinion, and he'd spent the whole night worrying over something _he_ might have done to upset her. He was the Crown Prince, how dare she do this to him!

"Arthur?" Merlin's voice broke through his thoughts.

"_What_ Merlin?" he asked tetchily.

"Maybe putting on some shoes would be a good idea," his manservant suggested. Glancing down, Arthur realised he'd been about to walk out of his chambers in bare feet. He grabbed his boots and pulled them on bad-temperedly. Merlin watched him from the table.

"Arthur?" he said again.

"What?" Arthur snapped.

"You… oh, forget it," Merlin turned back to his work.

Angrily, Arthur slammed the door and headed down the corridor. In the back of his brain he knew he was being unfair to Merlin, which didn't help his spirits. Now he was feeling guilty. Again.

He didn't know where he was going to go. Training didn't start for a while. He'd just wanted to get away from Merlin. He decided on the practice fields. He'd have a warm-up before Training, vent off some of his angers.

He'd left his sword in his room, so he headed to the armoury to find a new one. Walking and anticipating a good hard practice re-vitalised him and he grinned as he pushed open the armoury door. There were few things he liked better than a sword practice.

The armoury was dark and smelt like polish. Gleaming shields and helmets hung from the walls and swords were placed neatly in crates on the floor. Arthur selected a sword. He decided to bypass the shield and helmet, he was just going to practice with a post after all.

He hung his sword from his belt and made his way to the practice fields. It was a cloudy day with a chill in the air, and he rubbed his hands together to warm up. The practice posts were at the side of the field, the middle being kept clear for combat practice.

He practiced for a while, long enough to get hot and sweaty in the chill air. Merlin should be out soon, to help him get ready for Training, and the other Knight's would come too. Feeling fresh and comfortably energised, Arthur leant against the post, watching servants trundle along the road to the right of the fields.

"Arthur!" Merlin had arrived, puffing. "Am I late?"

"Amazingly, no," Arthur said gruffly, feeling guilty for taking it out on his manservant earlier. "Have you got my armour?"

"Damn," Merlin slapped his palm to his forehead. "I knew I'd forgotten something." He hurried off.

Rolling his eyes, Arthur followed him back to the castle.

The corridors were busier now. Servants bobbed curtseys as Arthur passed. He took more notice of them than usual today. Maybe Buffy was a servant?

He didn't see her, though. Disappointed, he entered his chambers once again, determined to make it up to Merlin by giving him a hand with the armour. He draped his chain mail over one arm and hung his shield over the other, ignoring Merlin's raised eyebrows.

The way back to the practice courts was another disappointment. Arthur didn't see Buffy. He was beginning to think she had been an illusion. Normal people don't just appear and disappear in the space of a day. But she hadn't seemed normal either, so he was at a loss of what to expect. Angry again, he strode ahead of Merlin towards the courts.

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**I know, my chapters are getting shorter by the day. But this one did take me a while to write. I'll try and do a big one next.**

**But I've decided, I don't want to write this anymore if I only get around five reviews. I _know_ you've been reading my story guys, because you've put me on story alerts, so review, ok? Next chapter won't come until I've got ten reviews.**

**If anyone's got any ideas for the story, or tips on writing, please add that into your review. Much appreciated, people who have reviewed. Thanks. :D**


	5. The Lady Morgana

**Thanks for the reviews! I didn't know I hadn't enabled anonymous! Sorry everyone! I'm not that good on computers ****J This chapters a little longer. Hope you like it!**

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"Damn!" Buffy sighed as she nearly pitched head-first into a wagon of fruit. She'd never before appreciated just how wonderful jeans were. It didn't help that Gwen's dress was a bit too big, either.

"Watch where you're going!" the owner of the fruit wagon snapped at her. Muttering apologies, Buffy hitched up her skirts and hurried along down the road.

After leaving Gwen's house yesterday she'd realised it was going to get dark soon. Unsure of what to do, she hadn't gone far. She didn't want to inconvenience Gwen by hanging around, but she didn't want to get lost either.

Luckily, after about half an hour of carefully scouting around a few streets, feeling much less conspicuous in her new clothes, she'd seen Gwen poking her head out of her front door and beckoning to her.

"Buffy," Gwen had whispered when she got close. "Want to stay here tonight? We have a little store-room behind the house that Father never goes in."

Buffy had seen what it had taken Gwen to make the offer. She understood her feelings completely. For all Gwen knew, Buffy was a dangerous sorceress, but she'd trusted her anyway.

"_Thank_ you," Buffy had accepted fervently, and spent the night in the little storeroom, comfortably sleeping on some rather dusty ripped blankets. In the morning Gwen had told her a little more information about the castle. At the time, Buffy had thought she was pretty well prepared.

Now she wished she'd asked Gwen a whole heap more of questions. Gwen had told her to pretend to be a servant in the castle, there were so many that no one would think her out of place. There, she'd be able to listen to all the gossip of the servants, and find out where warlocks were rumoured to be living. It had seemed a pretty simple plan.

But Buffy realised now she had no idea _how_ to be a servant. She didn't have anything to do, in the castle, and she'd stick out if she was just wandering around. And what if Arthur saw her, and remembered her? She didn't know how much of an impression she'd made on the Crown Prince, but it was pretty risky anyway.

She reached the servants door of the castle. A guard stood at the door, glancing over the swarm of people entering. As she drew nearer to him, Buffy's heart raced. She bent her head low and pretending to be checking a bit of embroidery on her pinafore. The guard barely glanced at her and she hurried through the door gratefully.

Once inside, the servants all split up, going different ways. Buffy followed a group of maids until they all went different ways and she was left in the corridor feeling foolish. Everyone seemed to have something to do, which meant, luckily, they were far too busy to notice her.

She tried to remember what Gwen had told her. If she needed help, the soft-voiced girl had said kindly, she should find out where the Lady Morgana's chambers were, and wait outside. Gwen had assured her that she worked there every day, and would be along eventually.

Ashamed to admit it, even to herself, but knowing it was true, Buffy definitely needed help. Sadly thinking about pressing herself on Gwen again, she quickly hurried up the corridor. She needed to find someone, preferable someone not too busy.

"Excuse me," she tried, calling out to a maid hurrying past. The maid ignored her. This was going to be tricky.

"Mister?" she tried, tapping a burly footmen on the elbow. The footman gave her a "not now, not ever" expression and pulled away, hurrying on.

"Excuse me?" Buffy tried again, desperately catching hold of a boy around her own age with black hair and grey blue eyes, with a red scarf around his throat.

The boy stopped. "Yes?" he asked, puzzled.

"Sorry to bother you, could you please tell me where Lady Morgana's chambers are?" she asked, thanking fate that finally someone had stopped.

"Oh, alright," the boy gave her a few instructions. Thanking him, she was about to turn away when she caught sight of his expression. It was a puzzled, thoughtful expression, and she was staring at her pinafore.

"Um, is everything alright?" Buffy asked, feeling stupid.

"What?" the boy started. "Oh, yes, it's fine. I just thought, those clothes look like a friend of mine's. Must be just similar."

He turned and walked away.

Sweaty faced, Buffy hurried down the way he'd directed her. Did the boy know Gwen? she wondered. He might make things difficult. She tried to think of what Giles would do in a situation like this. Thinking about him gave her a pang. She missed them, especially Willow and Xander. She wondered what was happening in Sunnydale, and felt a renewed fervour to get back and help out with Toth, and whatever other demons would surely be coming their way.

She reached what she hoped was Morgana's door. Wondering if Gwen was already inside, she considered knocking. If Morgana was as nice as Gwen had said she was she would at least be able to just pretend it was a mistake and she'd knocked on the wrong door if Gwen wasn't there.

Deciding to go for it, she rapped loudly on the door. A soft voice called, "come in" and she entered.

The chamber was beautiful. There was a carved bed in one corner and gauzy drapes over the curtains, with a pretty little wash basin and looking glass in another corner. Reclining on the bed was the most beautiful girl Buffy had ever seen. She had long, thick dark hair and green-grey eyes that sparkled with life. She was wearing a flowing gown of silk and gauzy material, complimented with a beautiful necklaces of green stones. She looked startled as Buffy entered.

"Oh," she exclaimed. "I thought it would be Gwen."

Unsure of how to act, Buffy curtseyed, thanking her Slayer balance for making it graceful. At least she wasn't making a _complete_ fool of herself. "Apologies… um…my lady. I was unaware that this was your ladyship's room. Excuse me."

Wondering if she was laying it on a little thick, Buffy curtseyed again. Morgana smiled.

"Do not worry, ….?" she said, pausing quizzically. Buffy stared at her for a second before realising she was expected to supply a name.

"Anne, your ladyship," Buffy said quickly.

"Well, Anne, you should get on with your work," Morgana said, rising gracefully. "And, my dear, if you happen to see my handmaiden Guinevere, please ask her to come here, will you?"

"Of course, my lady," Buffy curtseyed again and hurried out the door. Just outside she leant against the wall. "Wow," she murmured, before hurrying a little further away from the door and settling down to wait for Gwen.

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**You can probably guess that I really like Morgana from my glowing description XD**

**Thanks for the reviews!**

**Once I get 15 reviews I'll publish the next chapter XD**


	6. Just What She's Looking For

**Thanks again for the reviews! This chapter follows Merlin, just getting a different perspective on Buffy. **

**The chapter starts just after Buffy walks away from Merlin after asking directions. Also, I'm not sure if Anne was a common name in Camelot, but let's just say it is. :) There's the famous Merlin/Gwen awkwardness happening too.**

**Oh, and can anyone tell me what a "hit" is? because I was looking on the "traffic section" (I'm new to this- no laughing) and it tells me how many "hits" I've had. Any info?**

**And the scoobies don't know she is missing. It's sort of like all this is happening when time is frozen in Sunnydale. I know, it's a bit lame, but oh well.**

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Merlin hurried down the corridor, thinking of the girl who had asked him directions. Now he thought about it, she'd had a bit of a strange accent and he'd thought _every_ maid knew where Morgana's chambers were. Maybe she was a new, foreign one?

Something about her kept nagging him. She seemed, out of place, somehow, more out of place than a normal new maid would be. And her clothes… they were almost exactly the same as Gwen's, and didn't really fit the girl at all. Had Gwen loaned them to her? Or had they been stolen? His face flushed angrily at the thought of anyone stealing from Gwen.

Determined to find the answer, Merlin made his way to Morgana's rooms. Gwen would surely be there and he wanted to see her anyway. Arthur had given him the morning off, and he had free time on his hands. Also, he might see the girl again.

He walked slowly in the general direction of Morgana's chambers. Once or twice he thought he saw the girl and looked around quickly, but it was only another maid with light hair, though none with the golden shine the girl had. He reflected that he'd never seen hair like that anywhere before.

He reached Morgana's chamber and received a shock. The girl was just going into them, twisting her fingers nervously around the hem of her pinafore. He reflected that it wasn't really strange after all, she had asked how to get there, hadn't she?

He could hear their conversation. It was short, and very puzzling. He heard Morgana exclaim in surprise, obviously the girl wasn't expected.

"Apologies… um… my lady," the girl sounded nervous and unused to the address. "I was unaware that this was your ladyship's room. Excuse me."

Merlin frowned. That didn't make sense at all. She'd asked him direction to Morgana's chambers, and now it seemed like she didn't even want to go there at all. To him, it seemed as if she was up to something suspicious, though he wasn't sure what.

He heard Morgana reassuring her, and asking her name. The girl responded, the words sounding strange in her different accent.

Anne. It was a common enough name, not foreign or rare at all. He considered asking Gwen if there was a new maid around, but then decided against it. Somehow, whenever he was with Gwen, any questions came out silly and he managed to twist the meaning around the wrong way.

"Well, Anne, you should get on with your work," Morgana was saying. Merlin hurried around a corner out of sight of the door and peeked around it to watch the girl- Anne, he reminded himself- leaving. She stopped just outside the door and murmured to herself, before scooting further away from the door and leaning against the wall, obviously waiting for something.

Totally forgetting that he had come to see Gwen, Merlin watched her wait, grinning as she attempted different methods of alleviating boredom. He was just watching her begin a strange form of dance, which involved thrusting out feets and raising legs, when he heard footsteps behind him.

"Merlin?" Gwen asked. "What are you doing?"

"Umm…" flushing furiously, he tried to think up an excuse. " I wanted to see… er…. you, actually."

"Really?" Gwen asked, flushing too. Did she think he was an idiot?

"Yes, Arthur gave me a day of this morning actually, and Gaius didn't need much help. And I was also… um… going to see if… um… Morgana needed anymore sleeping potions," he stuttered, rather proud of himself for thinking up a good excuse.

"So why didn't you ask Morgana?" Gwen inquired. "I mean… obviously, if you've just got here… but I thought you didn't look like… but you must have… I didn't mean."

"Well…" he flushed again. She obviously thought he was being an idiot. Her own face was red, probably from suppressing laughter. "There seems to be someone… there. Waiting."

Gwen peeked around the corner. "Oh dear," she said. "Um… That's a new maid… I'll go and… Not that you can't come… I mean…" she flushed even redder. Merlin looked at her awkwardly.

"You should go in and ask Morgana about it," Gwen said. "Not that you have too… but… I should go and help the maid."

"Yes, of course," blushing furiously Merlin followed Gwen around the corner. Anne was fiddling with her hem again, sighing.

"Buf- Anne!" Gwen called. Anne spun around and her face lit up, falling again when she saw Merlin. Still embarrassed he knocked on Morgana's chamber door and entered.

She was at her window, looking out into the courtyard, her throat gleaming with emerald stones and her hair wonderfully flowing. As always, Merlin was at a loss for what to say.

"Merlin," she said, turning. "What brings you here?"

"My lady," he said bowing. "Gaius was wondering if you required another draught to help you sleep. He is anxious about your nightmares, you see, my lady."

"Merlin, Merlin," Morgana laughed. "Don't we know each other- at least fairly well? No need for that title nonsense." Then a darker expression past over her face. "Please tell Gaius I think more potions would be useful. My dreams have been… unsettled. I keep seeing… never mind."

"My la- Morgana?" Merlin asked, correcting himself quickly. "Are you alright?"

"Yes, yes," she said, returning to her brisk tone. "Oh, Merlin, have you seen Gwen about?"

"Yes, actually," he said. "I saw her just outside the door. A new maid has come, I think, and Gwen needs to help her a little. I'm sure she'll be in soon."

"Oh, well, that's all right then," Morgana said, turning to the window. "I was getting a little worried. Is the new maid called Anne? She entered here before. I don't think I've ever seen her before, but for some reason she seemed… familiar."

"Yes, Anne," Merlin began to bow, caught himself, and left the chambers with Morgana's tinkling laugh following him out the door.

***

Gwen and Anne were still talking in low voices. Merlin hesitated, then walked up to them. Anne stopped talking and gave him a wary stare.

"Lady Morgana was asking about you," Merlin told Gwen quietly.

"Oh, yes, I know," she said helplessly. "I'm awfully late. I just… I had so much to do, what with Anne starting work."

Anne gave her a wary stare too. Merlin remembered the puzzling things about her and gave her a searching look, but she turned her face to Gwen.

"Anyway," Gwen said quickly. "This is Anne, she's working in… um… she's working in the kitchens."

"Hello," Merlin said, ducking his head politely. "I'm Merlin."

Anne gave him a wide-eyed stare, her mouth falling open in shock. She then turned to Gwen and gave her an equally wide eyed look. Merlin stared back in confusion, wondering what was so amazing.

"Merlin?" She said. "As in famous sorcerer warlock guy Merlin?"

There was a deafening silence. Gwen turned to Merlin and gaped, while Anne did a little jig, before flinging herself on him, giving him a tight hug and exclaiming,

"Thank God, you're _just_ what I was looking for!"

* * *

**So Merlin's secret is revealed (to Gwen anyway)**

**What will he do next?**

**By the way, I don't know if I'll continue the "nex chapter needs this many reviews" and all that. So you get the next chapter for nothing (after I've written it :P)  
**


	7. Explanations and Revelations

**Hey guys! I know it's been ages, thanks for encouraging me to keep on with this story! It might seem a little different, but I hope you still like it :)**

**So, yeah, enjoy!**

As Buffy pulled stepped back from her hug with Merlin, she noticed the shocked expressions on both Gwen and Merlin's faces.

"Uh… what did I say?" she asked.

Gwen was staring at Merlin, struck dumb with shock. When she finally regained her words , she stuttered out a: "W-w-what?"

Merlin was freaking out. He had no idea how this Anne girl knew his secret. He also had no idea why she had called him famous. But he pushed these thoughts aside, for the moment seeking only the chance to explain everything to Gwen.

"Please calm down!" he implored her. "Please, please calm down! I'll explain – I promise!" He took a step towards Gwen, but the maid took a step away, trying to widen the space between them. Her face was changing from shock to anger.

"You're a _warlock?_" she screeched. Merlin winced and looked around nervously.

"Not so loud! Do you want to get me _killed_?" he hissed. "Listen, can we please just go to Gaius's and explain everything? I'm sure we can work this out…"

"Does _Gaius_ know? How many people know?" Gwen said, lowering her voice but still looking fierce. "Why did you lie to me, Merlin? And… well… are you evil?" she knew it was a stupid question, but all her life she had lived under Uther's rule, and his vicious attitude towards anything at all super-natural had hardened her against stories of sorcerers and warlocks.

"Of course not!" Merlin looked a little hurt. "And I wanted to tell you, I did, but it would only put you in danger! Can we _please_ go back to Gaius's? He knows, but no one else I swear! Except… um… Anne here?"

Buffy had been watching this exchange, trying to work out what was happening between the two others. She had an idea that this Merlin guy wasn't yet the famous sorcerer-warlock he was going to be. She remembered Gwen telling her about King Uther and his campaign to stamp out magic and gulped. No wonder Merlin was keeping his power under wraps. And unless she was mistaken, this was the first time Gwen had heard anything about it.

"Um… Anne?" Merlin was speaking to her. Buffy looked at him quizzically, feeling guilty about spilling his secret – even if she had had no idea it was a secret in the first place. "Gwen and I are going to Gaius's. I think you need to come too…"

"Sure thing," Buffy glanced at Gwen, who was looking a bit white, and still shocked and wary. "You okay?" Buffy asked her.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Gwen hissed.

"Um…? I didn't know you two were friends. I wasn't even sure he existed. But we'll explain, I promise," Buffy linked her arm through Gwen's, then thought of something. "What about your work? Will Morgana be okay without you?"

"She'll be fine," said Merlin quickly. "This is important!"

Gwen looked unsure, but she allowed herself to be led off towards the physician's rooms. As the three left the corridor, the door to Lady Morgana's chambers opened. Morgana stood, stunned, in the threshold, glancing towards the retreating backs of the three. Her eyes widened as she ran through all she had heard.

Well that had been a _big_ surprise.

Gaius's quarters were crowded and a bit dusty, but comfortable and cosy. Merlin led Gwen and Buffy up to his room, flushing at the untidy floor and all the armour he was _meant_ to be polishing. He'd have to do a quick spell later.

"Nice room," Buffy said, appreciatively gazing out of the window at the village of Camelot.

"Er… thanks," Merlin focused his attention on Gwen. "Uh… are you okay?" With the new location, it seemed the awkwardness he hated had returned. "Do you want to sit down? Not that you have to! B-but, I thought you might…"

"Just sit down," Buffy butted in, pulling Gwen down onto the bed. "Now, who's going first?"

"Merlin," Gwen said firmly, gazing fiercely at the young man. "He's going to explain _everything_, aren't you?" It seemed Gwen's awkwardness was still in shock, and had not yet been revived.

"Well, I can't… Um… I don't really know anything about Anne h-here," Merlin stuttered.

"That's okay. Gwen does," Buffy supplied. "Well, I guess. Should I start, seeing as you seem to have a serious case of the babbles," she turned to Gwen apologetically. "I think it's easier if I explain first, seeing as Merlin has no idea who I am."

She gave Merlin the story she had given Gwen. Merlin gasped at everything, his mouth hanging open like a fish. Buffy rolled her eyes and said: "Honestly, you'd think that with you being a warlock and all, you'd know a bit more about these sorts of things."

"But how did you know w-who… I mean… how did you kn-know me?" Merlin asked, recovering himself quickly and looked a little embarrassed.

"Dude, _everyone _knows you. Well – maybe not everyone. I mean, I do happen to have access to a complete history and fairy-tale nut. But, still, you're famous. You and Arthur and Gwen and Lancelot and Morgana. Although everyone thinks you're a fairy-tale. And Morgana was evil," Buffy reflected upon this. "And Gwen married Prince Arthur!"

"_What_?" Gwen gasped. "Me? M-marry Prince Arthur? Well I never!" she looked like she didn't believe a word of this.

Buffy sighed. "It's totally true, I swear! Anyway," she turned to Merlin. "You were a bit older in the stories… Arthur was king and you were his… wizard, I guess. But you were _really_ old, and had this long white beard."

Merlin was gobsmacked. He sat there, his mouth opening and closing. Buffy noticed this.

"You're doing the fish thing again," she accused him. "But don't worry about all this fairy-tale stuff. It might not even happen. That's just how I know about Merlin being magical."

Gwen remembered the more pressing problem of Merlin and sighed. "Well Merlin? What do you have to say for yourself?"

Merlin hesitated. "I… well… I'm a warlock. I came to Camelot and Gaius found out about it. Apparently I have a destiny, to save Prince Arthur and things like that. Arthur has _no_ idea. The amount of times I've saved his life and he hasn't realised," Merlin chuckled, then looked sombre. "He really could thank me a little bit more," he shrugged and went on. "I had to keep it a secret because of King Uther. If he knew he would execute me! So I had to keep it a secret from everyone. I'm sorry, Gwen."

Gwen was looking calmer. "I-it's okay, Merlin," she said. "I know that King U-uther would be really s-scary for you. I'm not saying you're not brave… but I kn-know… not saying you should have…" her voice faded away and she twisted her fingers in her skirt.

"The pressing problem," Buffy said. "Is how to get me back outta here. I mean, I like you guys, but I really don't want to be executed or anything. And I kinda miss the Scoobies," she sighed. "I still have to sort out that Toth demon. So Merlin… do you think you could send me back?"

"I don't know," Merlin said thoughtfully. "I'll ask Gaius if you like. Although I guess you wouldn't want him to know… I'll have a look through the books. But I'm pretty sure big spells like that can only be done at the full moon, so you'll have to wait a few days. The moon's full in two days, so _if_ I can find a spell by then, you can leave then."

"Aah, full moons," Buffy said, rising from Merlin's bed. "Everything seems to happen around them. Um… no offence, Gwen, but I don't think I could stand being a maid for one more day. I did a completely awful job today, and I think I'd ruin your reputation."

"F-fair enough," Gwen acknowledged. "But what are we going to do with you, th-then?"

"We need somewhere for you to stay," agreed Merlin. "I'm afraid you can't stay here. We'd have to explain all this to Gaius and that would just make everything _really_ confusing."

"I know what to do," said a new voice from the doorway. Everyone turned and watched as the Lady Morgana swept into the room, her silk cloak rustling on the wooden floor. "She can stay with me."

So Morgana's in on the secret - and she wants to help the Slayer!

Read and review, my dears. 3


	8. All it Takes is a Change of Clothes

Once again thanks for all the reviews my lovelies!

"My lady!" Gwen jumped up and curtseyed awkwardly. "What are you doing here?"

"It's okay, everyone," Morgana said, smiling at Buffy and Merlin. "And _please_ stop curtseying, Gwen, it makes me feel like a snob. I heard you talking outside my chambers. It's okay… I think I dreamt this was coming."

"Aha!" exclaimed Buffy. Everyone turned and stared at her. She blushed. "Sorry! I just remembered – Morgana is a seer. Aren't you?" she said to Morgana.

"I believe so. But please don't mention it to anyone else. If Uther finds out…" Morgana shuddered. "I just don't want to think about it. But what do you think?" she asked Buffy. "You could stay with me. You'd still have to pretend – but you don't have to be a maid. I'll tell Uther and Arthur that you're a friend of mine, from Gallaha, perhaps."

"But she's met Arthur," Gwen protested. "In… um… slightly different clothes," she blushed.

"Hey! There's nothing slutty about my old clothes! They're just a little… well, they're not in keeping with the current fashion," Buffy said.

"It doesn't matter," Morgana said, waving the matter away. "Arthur's a fool. We'll just tell him that you're a foreigner who is used to different customs."

"Are you sure you're okay with this?" Buffy asked. "It's rather a lot to take in. And you'll be in _big_ trouble with Uther if he finds out."

"I'm fine with this," Morgana said. "Let's get you to my chambers. You need a change of clothes if you're going to pretend to be my friend. Sorry Gwen," she added. "You're clothes are lovely."

"Yes, they are," Buffy agreed. "Thank you so much for these!" she fingered her cloth dress. "I'll get them back to you as soon as I can."

And with that, Buffy and Morgana left tiny bedroom.

Morgana's chambers were beautiful when Buffy had a chance to look around them properly. Morgana searched in the extensive wardrobe for something for her guest to wear, while Buffy admired the spectacular view from the large glass-paned windows.

"Thank you so much, again," she sighed, resting her head on the cool frame. "This is so nice of you. I mean, you hardly even know me."

"It's nothing," Morgana waved away her thanks with an elegant hand. "I've always thought Uther's rules were far too harsh, and it's obvious you're in danger from him while you're in Camelot. Now, how about this dress? I think it'll fit you, as it's too small for me. We could get Gwen to take up the hem a little."

"Wow!" Buffy admired the gown in awe. It was a shiny sea-green, with a full silk skirt and velvet sleeves. She took it from Morgana and turned to the mirror, holding it up against her body. "It's amazing!" The dress was slightly too long, but Morgana assured her that Gwen was a skilled seamstress. "If there's one thing I wish had never changed, it's clothes like these. I remember I dressed up in a dress like this once," the Slayer mused. "It was great until it turned me into an 18th century lady."

Morgana laughed. "I take it you like the dress. You should put it on now, in case any servants come in. I'll go and tell Uther about you, and you can change. We'll have the maids set you up another bed in here later."

"Sounds good," Buffy said, fingering the soft velvet of her new dress. "Bye!"

Morgana left the room, and Buffy stripped off her maid's uniform. Gwen's dresses had been somewhat scratchy, and were a bit bigger than Morgana's old gown; this dress felt completely different. Buffy slipped on the luxurious garment, feeling the silk against her skin and smiling. She remembered her Halloween costume dress and laughed. "If only Angel could see me now," she thought tenderly.

Buffy turned to the mirror and gasped at her reflection. She looked almost as much of a lady as Morgana did, with her blonde hair loose around her shoulders. The colour of the dress matched her eyes and brought out the green in them. The Slayer thought of the dinner Morgana was attending and imagined herself sweeping into the room like a true lady, wearing her beautiful dress. The thought made her smile.

Morgana's entrance brought her back to earth, and Buffy felt a little silly for her imagining. She was the Slayer, not a lady. She fought demons, she didn't attend balls and feasts and wear gowns. This was just for a few nights, until she could get back to Sunnydale.

"Uther is delighted, although he's a little surprised," Morgana informed her new friend. "He's invited you to dinner, so we'd better get that dress shortened. I'll call for Gwen and then we can go for a walk if you like. I know you're only staying for a few days but the castle is really beautiful."

"Sure thing," Buffy thought of her first visit round the castle. She remembered Arthur Pendragon and her face grew hot. What was it about the blond prince that enthralled her so? She shrugged off the thought of his stares and watched as Morgana rang the bell for her maid. This Camelot business wasn't really so bad.

A short walk of the castle later, Buffy was exhausted. Not physically so, but her mind was run-down and she felt like she couldn't think properly. Morgana seemed to notice and led her back to the chambers.

"We have a while before dinner," she said. "Do you want to rest here?"

"Yes please," Buffy said, sighing and rubbing her head. "Sorry: a lot's happened today."

"I understand," said Morgana, nodding. "I mean, you've snuck into the castle as a maid, ruined Merlin's secret life, turned into a lady and toured a castle. I guess it kind of tires you after a while."

Buffy laughed. "Hey, I didn't _mean_ to spill on Merlin, I just didn't know everyone… didn't know, I guess." She sat down on the bed and sighed. "Well, I'm just going to rest here. If I fall asleep, wake me up before dinner, please."

"Of course," Morgana rose from her bed. "I'll give you some privacy. Sweet dreams."

Buffy lay back on her pillows and reflected upon the strangeness of… well… everything. She felt unnaturally tired, and found herself slipping into dreams, her mind swirling with unwanted thoughts of Arthur Pendragon and his penetrating stare.

Next chap. methinks will be the Buff and Uther. Or at least the chapter after that! Please review, and if you have any ideas or suggestions for the story please feel free to comment.


	9. Don't Kill Me! Author's note

**JUST AN AUTHOR'S NOTE - NOT AN UPDATE**

****I'm really sorry guys, I HATE it when author's do notes like this, because I get so much false hope. But it's kind of necessary, I think.

So, I obviously haven't updated for a LONG time. I kind of moved out of the Merlin fandom (I haven't kept up with the seasons, there's 4 now or something) and once I finished Buffy I forgot about this story. Then I started writing more Harry Potter stuff (check it out if you like Harry Potter, I kinda like some of my stuff and would LOVE reviews).

But anyway, because I hate reading a story and then there's no ending, I really want to continue this. However, my writing style has changed SO much. I wrote this story a long time ago and reading through it I don't think I could make the story flow like it used to, because the difference in style would be sooo jarring.

SO. Either I could rewrite the whole thing (no promises, but it's the holidays now, so... maybe) or I could continue and it would just be really different. If there's anyone still interested in this story then I'd love your opinions on what to do, because I don't want to abandon it. :P


	10. Second Author's Note The rewrite!

**Thanks for the people who replied to the question. I've decided to rewrite, and I hope that I can make it so you guys who enjoyed this version will enjoy the rewrite as well. I've almost finished chapter 1 and should post it early tomorrow, under the name: The Slayer in Camelot -REWRITE, or something like that. I've tried to regain the writing style of the previous story, and the plot will be pretty similar, but I am going to change stuff, because I actually haven't really planned out a plot at all (I never really do) so... yeah... I'll try and figure something out.**

**Hope you guys keep reading! (and like the rewrite). I'm going to try and keep a steady updating schedule of a chapter every few days for two weeks, because it's the holidays, but after that who knows what'll happen.**


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